PopCrush Presents: CLC

Every week at PopCrush, we’re putting the spotlight on one up-and-coming act you need to know about. Why? So you can get on board early before everyone else and their mother jumps on the bandwagon…and so you can be that one friend in the group who’s always like, “Um, actually, I prefer their earlier work.”

The seven-piece troupe, short for CrystaL Clear (just go with it!), is one of Cube Entertainment's leading troupes today in South Korea. They've got an excellent new mini-album out today (Jan. 17) called Crystyle — but let's rewind real quick.

Like many K-Pop girl groups, the troupe launched in 2015 with a slightly different formation: five members, to be exact. Their image was super cutesy and girlish, as evidenced by debut singles like the horn-heavy "Pepe" and their synth-y throwback "Eighteen."

Their debut efforts, from 2015's First Love to last year's Nu.Clear , were cute, but fairly unremarkable.

Two years — and two new members — later, the group returned at the top of 2017 with a "badass" comeback image, channeling their inner Harley Quinn with weapons, fiercely fashion-forward outfits (and glitter freckles!) and cocky choreography in the all-around killer "Hobgoblin," which plays like 4minute's "Crazy" meets Madonna's "Bitch I'm Madonna." (The sonic similarity is no accident, either: the track was co-written by 4Minute Queen, HyunA.)

With a void left in the K-Pop girl group scene left by more assertive, unphuckwitable acts like 2NE1 and 4minute, CLC might just be the ones to pick up the torch — err, spiked bat — and lead the charge. Smash it up, ladies.

Check out the video for "Hobgoblin" up top, and take a listen to their whole Crystyle mini-album on Spotify and Apple Music.

Who would you like to see featured in PopCrush Presents next? Tweet us at @popcrush with your recommendations using #PopCrushPresents!